Nomads CC | Sussex Martlets

Match Report

I collected £165 in match fees and transferred this to the Martlets Bank account on Thursday 1st August – Reference is – Wise Nomads July 2024.

Nomads won the toss and elected to field first. The format was a time game of 85 overs starting at 2.00pm with the side batting first only able to bat a maximum of 45 and no other restrictions.

Tom Naish (16) and Will Burch (43) began steadily against some accurate bowling from Steel and left arm spinner Jackson with Naish hitting a couple of excellent cover drives. His dismissal brought West Chilts overseas Dan Williams (65) to the crease. Both left-handers continued to accumulate against the accurate spin of Jackson and Nomads captain Butcher, but the risk of some balls keeping low meant that batting was hard graft. Their application proved to be entirely the right course of action as it laid the platform for Iain Allen to hit a destructive 61 from 46 balls. He changed the game in the Martlets favour with Tayyab Mahmood (17) and Luke Nelson (12) weighing in at the end at a run a ball. Martlets declared in the 43rd having reached 237 for 5.

This total was competitive but by no means out of reach given the relatively short boundary on one side and Nomads got away to a flyer. Despite losing Hassan, who was bowled by Williams, Kandampully and Malik were particularly harsh on anything overpitched. Williams looked threatening but extra pace meant boundaries came freely and when Will Robertshaw was hit for three boundaries in a row by Malik the Nomads had reached 69 for 1 in less than 14 overs and were definitely favourites. However, a clever slower ball from Daniel James (he will definitely provide details!) caused Malik to hit one hard in the air to Sam Hilton at cover who dived forward and took a superb and game changing catch. Sherzad was strangled off James (8 overs 2 for 19) by the keeper down the leg side and Luke Nelson then smartly ran out Kandampully. The spin of Robertshaw (11 overs 3 for 66) and Jonathan Peters (7 overs 0 for 20) turned the screw meaning it looked as if Nomads would be playing for the draw. But, the Martlets deliberately gave them a sniff and maintained attacking fields in order to keep the game open. With 6 overs to go all three results were definitely possible with Walker’s half century keeping the Nomads interested. Sam Hilton (6 overs 1 for 35) then picked up the wicket of Steel with a clever slower ball which swung things again. However, the Martlets could not prise out the last two wickets and the Nomads ended on 216 for 8 from their 43 overs. This was a fair end to an excellent game.